It still feels surreal, me standing here in my convocation gown, my vice chancellor calls me to the stage, “Vanessa Nnamani” the crowd applauds. The journey of about four years ends today. I am now a certified Biochemist. Somebody pinch me.

Pondering upon this moment, one of the thoughts which crosses my mind is the number of things that would have gone wrong on this journey without the numerous nuggets of wisdom and the issues I could have avoided had I been given timely advice. Hopefully, my story pushes someone out there from thinking about pursuing their dream to actually implement it.

Starting early

I remember when I decided that I wanted to pursue higher education abroad. I was in senior secondary class 3. A lot of questions came up in my mind from how I would secure funds for my education to concerns about a new environment, but I am a determined person. I started putting in the work early and everything else fell into place.

Exams

I started my study abroad processing right away in senior class 3 while I had my WAEC and JAMB exams although the majority of the details were handled after my graduation. I got enrolled in MET Education Ng, a great tutorial center in Lagos for my SAT and TOEFL. Because they also handled applications to schools abroad and other details, it was a pretty straightforward process for me.

Interview day

The day for my interview came with a lot of nerves, but one of the principles I always stand by is “preparation”. So I made sure I was dressed professionally and looked the part. I knew my documents in and out so that I could answer questions clearly. The interview was quite short and I was really grateful it turned out well.

Immigration laws

It was quite frustrating how stringent the laws were for a migrant student, and it is sad that these processes have only gotten more difficult. However, what I did was thoroughly look through the pros and cons. Because the pros stood out for me, I decided to work through the cons and focus on the destination.

Culture shock

Moving abroad was very fun and exciting to me until I realised I had actually moved abroad. Culture shock is indeed real. There were days I didn’t even want to get off the bed, but one of the best pieces of advice I gave myself was to get involved.  I eventually found where I fit in, and living abroad got easier.

Discrimination

I believe that anyone can face discrimination anywhere and to an extent you can decide if it makes or marks you. For me, I have always had my eyes on the destination, so I tried my best not to get sidetracked by the obstacles. I would advise prospective migrant students to research their destination study countries to find out how high racial discrimination and other forms of discrimination are before making a decision.

Support system

No man is an island. The fact that some of my relatives live abroad was factored into my study abroad plan because I believe everyone needs some support especially when moving to a new place. I had family abroad who could support me, and I was able to make some new friends who have also been a huge support to me on this journey.

Try again!

Finally, I know this sounds like a cliché, but never give up. If you have to try more than once to study abroad, please don’t give up. Keep trying. At the end of the day, when you get to your dream country, studying your dream course in your dream school, all that would matter is that you got there safely, not exactly how much you tried. Besides, what else can you do but try?

I am rooting for your success!

Author: Vanessa Nnamani

Editor: Nneka Amakom